I don’t have time. I’m too busy. It’s too hard. I can’t afford it. I don’t have motivation.
You’ve either heard or made excuses like these before, and the list goes on and on. Those excuses have been heard by every trainer out there. And, to be honest, those excuses are the only things standing in your way.
Therefore, you are the only thing standing in your way. The only solution is to lose the excuses and just do it.
What if I told you that you could be healthier, feel less stressed, have more energy and feel more self-confident just by dropping your excuses and getting it done? It really is that easy. You may be making it harder on yourself than it needs to be by thinking like a kid that doesn’t want to do his or her chores. You need to open your mind to a different way of thinking about fitness and think like the kid that gets to play his or her favorite game.
All you need to do is get up and make it happen. I always tell my clients and members, “The hardest part about working out is the drive to the gym.”
Mondays. Ugh, the dreaded Mondays. This is usually the, I’m-too-tired-excuse day. If you lose that excuse and take the drive to the gym (or make the time at home) on a Monday for your workout, I promise it will be worth it. Mondays set the tone for the rest of the week. It’s more likely that you will continue to come every day that week if you do work out on a Monday than if you don’t make the effort. It makes you feel like you’re off to a good start. So, lose the Monday blues and get the week kicked off in the right direction.
Pencil in your workouts as if they were doctor’s appointments. Set reminders in your phone, your calendar, or leave yourself notes on the fridge. Plan out your workout schedule on Sunday and write down exactly what you plan to do for each day you have scheduled a workout. For example: Monday, 6 a.m. back and biceps, followed by 20 minutes of cardio. Set an alarm to go with it, and make it happen. Ask a friend to join you in the weekly challenge and hold each other accountable. Be each other’s reminder call or text, and encourage each other to go. Sometimes that friendly push (or, perhaps pleading and begging) is all you need.
Start with a beginner exercise video or beginner group fitness class if you are new to exercise. Hiring a personal trainer is another great option. It will not only teach you correct form for many exercises, but it will also keep you more motivated than trying to start alone.
When you look around in a gym and see extremely fit people, it can be intimidating. Just remember: they once started somewhere, just like you. Most of them even have a back story about difficult weight loss or muscle gain and how they overcame their own obstacles to get where they are. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen for you overnight, or even in a month. It takes time. Drop the excuses and keep going.
There are so many options out there to get started on a good workout regimen. You can get on a bicycle, lift weights at home, walk around your neighborhood, get a buddy to go to the gym with, take a group fitness class, hire a personal trainer, try a boot camp, go online and follow exercise videos, and much more. The possibilities are endless. The excuses will only take you so far before they don’t work anymore.
So get up, get dressed, tie your shoelaces and make it happen. It’s easy to find excuses, but there’s no better time to lose them than now.
As Edward Stanley one said, “Those who think they have no time for exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”
Heather Dykstra is an AFAA-certified personal trainer, and has been a group fitness instructor for over 13 years. She is currently involved with the Plant City Family YMCA.